Curiosity on Wall Street
by evelitan
Summary: Eight months after the Emily Lake case, the team find themselves in the middle of a new mystery involving a strange curiosity. Myka is thinking about Helena, Helena is on a mission in London. This fic is kind of a cross-over with the last episode of the series "Hustle" (where Jaime starred) so more characters from that show will make an appearance, but they wouldn't meddle too much
1. Chapter 1

**Curiosity on Wall Street**

 **Chapter I: I owe you, darling.**

 **AN:** Hi guys! So, I have been a huge fan of Helena and Myka since the show aired, but until now I didn't see myself capable of writing a fic about them, I just knew I couldn't make the characters justice so I waited. I believe I am on the right track now, but I would love and appreciate your feedback. This is going to be a short multi-chapter story and I'll probably update it once a week. I know this fandom is not very active, but every single comment and kudos is very special for me. And last, but not least, I would like to thank each and every fellow writer, reader or artist who still find inspiration and continue crating amazing stories with these two ladies, you guys are awesome! Hope you enjoy my scribbles :D

 **AN1:** Guys, I have no idea what the grapefruit essence oil is used for, but grapefruit smells good so it fitted the story and I love dogs, I'd never call a dog a mutt, but it was kind of necessary for this fiction to use such language. As I am sure you've noticed I don't like Pete as a love interest for Myka, but I do think they were very good friends, so this fic is going to reflect their friendship, so the last season of Warehouse 13 didn't happen.

 **Summary:** Eight months after the Emily Lake case, the team find themselves in the middle of a new mystery involving a strange curiosity. Myka is thinking about Helena, Helena is on a mission in London. This fic is kind of a cross-over with the last episode of the series "Hustle" (where Jaime starred) so more characters from that show will make an appearance, but they wouldn't meddle too much (it is a Warehouse fiction after all).

"So, Mykes, what was so urgent that I couldn't even finish my second blueberry muffin?" – Pete managed to ask in a barely intelligible manner as he stuffed the last of his breakfast muffin in his mouth. Usually, the human mouth is designed by nature for a certain capacity of food, but Pete seemed to be the exception of this general rule, as he had no problem stuffing an almost entire pastry and chewing on it with the grace of a homeless mutt.

"Dude, you ate like five of these before Steve and I had even finished our coffees!" – The short redhead mocked behind him. Claudia and Steve were walking next to each other when they entered the Warehouse, but now the young woman hurried to get to Myka and hug her.

"I'm so glad you're back, it's been hell with only those two and Artie to keep me company." – Claudia said and Myka smiled softly.

The friendship between the two women had long since transitioned into a full blown sisterly relationship, it was no secret that Claudia admired Myka, but lately the older agent has been spending more time with her, trying to teach her more advanced combat skills, especially after the Alps mission a few months ago.

Their job wasn't easy and it certainly was never boring, they could all agree with that, but the dangers lurking around them were just as real as the astounding wonders surrounding them. A couple of months prior, the team were sent to a small village in the Swiss Alps to retrieve a curiosity (Claudia had picked up that word from H.G and adamantly refused to go back to calling them "artifacts").

Steve and Myka had managed to disarm the goons guarding the room where the Picasso's paintbrush was held, but since Pete got whamied again, they were an agent short and didn't notice the guard that came rushing from the hallway to their left plunging at Claudia. The man was huge and had a knife hidden in his belt, if Myka was just a second slower the redhead wouldn't have been with them right now.

Myka shuddered at that thought, it was the first time in years she used an actual firearm rather than her tesla gun and the repercussions of killing a man, of taking a life, downed on her in the exact moment when Claudia ran to her side and hugged her tight. Yes, she had taken a life, but feeling the raged breathing of the younger girl in her arms was all the assurance Myka would need to know that she had made the right choice.

Nobody spoke about that accident after it, but Claudia had fallen into the habit of giving Myka a spontaneous hugs every now and then, not that the curly agent minded, Claudia was a sweet girl and even though she was no longer a child, she felt safer around the older woman. With the exception of H.G, Claudia hadn't felt that safe around anyone else, not even Artie or Steve. Of course, she knew they'd always help her if she needed it, but Myka and H.G seemed to understand her on a deeper level.

It had been a little over eight months since the Emily Lake case. Seeing H.G again made the team come face to face with some very controversial feelings towards her in particular and even towards each other. After the case itself, she stayed around for a while, almost a month, 3 weeks, 4 days and 7 hours… but who was counting?

Artie never trusted Helena, Pete was siding with him on this one and kept his distance as well, then there was Steve who had no particular quarrel with her, so he was actually nice to H.G without any masked anger or hidden mistrust tainting their conversations. Claudia was glad to see the inventor again; she had found an inspiring, experienced mind to connect with and discuss her ideas about some new gadget or another. Leena was content to see the positive change in H.G and she was ready to put the past behind them and Myka… Myka was feeling many things. On the top of her list was definitely happy, happy to see the brit again, happy to talk to her outside of her dreams. Most importantly thrilled to be able to pass her the coffee cup in the mornings (and not have the cup pass through her projection), just so she could smell the black liquid inside and take a small sip before giving it back with a pretend appalled expression.

That was one of H.G's quirks, she didn't drink coffee, she positively hated it in fact, but each morning she and Myka found themselves in the kitchen, having woken up much earlier than everyone else, she'd take the cup Myka offered her and take a sip. Helena would never trade her Earl Grey even though Myka teased her many times how she would embrace the American way eventually; it was good seeing the curly haired woman feeling relaxed enough around her to joke. It had been a while for them, to find themselves so close to one another again, despite the numerous unvoiced thoughts each of them had when around the other, it felt good to fall into the forgotten rhythm they once had while they worked together.

* _flashback*_

 _"I never understood how there is a freshly baked breakfast every morning here and yet Leena is nowhere to be seen so early." – Helena mused quietly. The mornings were quiet times, everything was still and the nature around the B & B was starting to wake up slowly from the nightly slumber. _

_"Leena loves to bake and meditate early in the mornings. Naturally, nobody can complain from the heavenly smell so we always try to go to that farmer's market nearby for products since she prefers the organic grown foods. Pete makes sure that no food is thrown away and even though she whines about the early get up, lately Claudia adopted a new habit and enjoys baking with Leena." – Myka laughed remembering how excited the redhead was when she had managed to bake (and finally not burn to charcoal) her first edible batch of snickerdoodles._

 _"Something tells me that not even my presence here will stop Pete from enjoying these cinnamon rolls, they smell divine." – H.G said and took a deep breath in. It was true, the space around them smelled of cinnamon, melted butter, sugar and… grapefruit? There was a very fait trace of it in the air, barely detectable, but when Helena took a step towards Myka that was currently sipping contently her coffee, the grapefruit smell got just a hinge stronger._

 _H.G always thought of herself as a very attentive woman, paying special attention to the situations and the details around her. This morning, Myka's hair seemed just a tad shinier than usual and then everything clicked in Helena's mind. Myka often complained about how hard it was to comb her curly hair. It would have been a hundred times easier if she straightened it, but she liked the looks Helena was giving her when her hair was down and curly, she even blushed a little when the brit complimented her looks, so she used grapefruit essential oil to help her with the knots. Helena had come associate this scent specifically with Myka, the sweet tone fitted her positive personality so well and the slight bitter tail spoke of Myka's darker side, the one that most people didn't even know existed._

 _"He'll get over it." – Myka said after a moment of silence._

 _"For what is worth, I am glad you're here again." – Myka added even more quietly than before, but Helena heard it loud and clear and her heart mirrored a hummingbird's wings before she remembered the look on Myka's face when she betrayed them, when she betrayed her, back in Yellowstone. This memory seemed to have scourged Helena's mind permanently and every time she dared to dream about the curly agent, she felt a pang of guilt, long since forgiven, but still guilt._

 _"I am sorry, Peter doesn't feel comfortable with me around, I can understand his mistrust towards me and I know you two have an important friendship." – Helena said lowering her gaze in defeat._

 _"He just doesn't trust you. But, I wouldn't worry about our friendship, it was shaky even before you came back." – Myka murmured._

 _"May I know why?" – Helena asked but then panic flooded her thoughts, maybe Myka didn't want to talk with her about that._

 _"Only if you want to share, I would also settle for talking about the latest trends in archeology fashion." – H.G added quickly and nervously chuckled. She wanted to know what was happening with Myka, but she didn't want to push it even if this this walking on eggshells drove both of them crazy sometimes._

 _"He just tried asking me out, like out on a date… and I said no. I like that he's my partner on the field, even if he is a little childish at times, but I could never see him as my partner in anything else. Besides I can't exactly discuss Dante's Divine Comedy with him." – Myka admitted almost shyly._

 _"Ah and now things are awkward between you." – Helena nodded in understanding._

 _"Not always, but I am not as comfortable as before when it's just the two of us doing inventory in the Warehouse, he looks at me as if I have kicked a puppy outside during a thunder storm. I know it will pass, but I just wish his infatuation would pass quicker and go back to our friendship like before. So anyway, when you came back he began acting even colder than before, because I've been spending more time with you and the rest of the team than with him."– Myka chuckled nervously in an attempt to diffuse the tension that had appeared in the kitchen._

 _"You are a beautiful woman Myka, I can't say it comes as a surprise to me that even an immature man like him would notice that as well, but it's your choice who you date or not and he should respect that." – Helena told her, looking directly into her eyes._

 _"And as for the Divine Comedy, I believe we have yet to discuss that one. I'm more of a Machiavelli girl myself, but I'll make an exception for you." – Helena teased back._

 _One of the many beautiful things about Helena was her classical inclinations born out of her non-belonging in this time of course, but impressively delectable nonetheless, they could spend hours discussing literary topics and musical tastes, jumping effortlessly from one era to another._

 _"Perhaps you'd allow me to steal you away for a little while today? I want to show you this amazing coffee shop I found near." – Helena asked tentatively, bracing herself for the no._

 _"Artie wants us in the Warehouse this Saturday. He's been a bit grumpier than usual lately." – Myka said looking slightly disappointed, but Helena was already expecting some sort of an excuse and was ready to make her exit, when Myka spoke again._

 _"But, I am pretty sure that we'll just do the usual inventory check and we'd be done around noon, so maybe we could go to town for lunch and have a coffee after that?" – She asked, careful of not letting her nervousness affect her voice._

 _"Sounds good to me." – Helena smiled and just as she was ready to ask something else a loud thumping of two sets of feet down the stairs halted her thoughts._

 _"Steve! I swear I'll shave your entire head once I catch you!" – Claudia was shouting and running just a couple of steps behind him._

 _"It was an accident! Come on Claudia, I didn't see it was your razor knife." – Steve said running down and hiding behind Myka who looked just as confused as Helena, but the current situation was rather comical. Steve was running around in only a towel from the waist down, with his face half shaved, half painted with shaving foam and Claudia running behind him with a bottle of shaving foam in her hands._

 _"And the fact that it was pink didn't tell you anything?!" – Claudia asked indignantly._

 _"I don't think a specific color is property of one gender only!"_

 _"It was my last razor knife Steve! How am I supposed to go out in shorts now?"_

 _"Oh come on, you barely need it." – Steve argued, taking a small step behind Myka._

 _"Flattery will get you nowhere Steven!"_

 _"Oh she is angry." – Helena laughed, Claudia rarely referred to anyone with their full name._

 _"I am pissed!" – Claudia tried to sound angry, but it came out more like annoyed._

 _"Okay, kids! Time to be adults again." – Myka said, she decided to put an end to this before someone really ended with a shaved head._

 _"Steve, you should pay more attention to the stuff you take, you know we all share a bathroom and as much as we don't like it, we don't have any other alternative." – Myka eyed him sternly._

 _"Claud, give him a break, he just returned from a mission, he looks like he hasn't slept in days, I doubt he even noticed the color of the razor." – She said to her._

 _"But how am I…" – Before Claudia could say something though, Myka held her hand up and continued._

 _"I have an extra razor I can give you, I got some last time I went grocery shopping, so crisis averted… right?" – The older agent asked rhetorically and the redhead nodded._

 _"Thank you Myka." – Whispered Steve behind her._

 _"Steve go back upstairs, you're dripping water and shaving foam everywhere." – Leena said as she entered the kitchen. She had heard the commotion and had come back to check on things._

 _It was 8 am already and everyone seemed to be up and about, ready for work or in the process of it, even Pete got downstairs, lured by the sweet aroma of the cinnamon rolls._

 _*4 hours later*_

 _Usually Myka wasn't one who could get distracted easily, but ever since her conversation with Helena this morning she couldn't stop thinking about their lunch together and how she couldn't wait to spend some time with the other woman again. Sure, there were topics they would have to build their way to, like her staying away once she remembered who she was, but there were also so many things they could discuss with one another and enjoy their free time._

 _Free time was a luxury when working for the Warehouse, thus it was a preciously treasured time one reserved for pleasant activities and plans and Myka couldn't think of anything more pleasant than spending time with Helena again._

 _She even got to the B &B earlier than the rest of the team after Artie dismissed her for "having her head in the clouds today", but she blamed it on the exhaustion of the week instead of the giddiness before her date. Was it even a date? In the 1800' it wasn't uncommon for women to have lunch dates as friends or even hold hands and H.G was raised with certain morals in mind. But then again she also had a kid without being married and worked as an apprentice at Warehouse 12 so… and those looks Helena was giving her every so often, so soft and appreciative and… wanting. _

_Rushing back to her room, Myka changed clothes quickly and went to Helena's room, ready to knock on the door and get the afternoon started._

 _*Knock, knock, knock*_

 _"Helena? I just got back from the Warehouse, are you ready?" – Myka asked, but nobody answered._

 _"Helena?" – She tried again, but when the silence repeated itself, Myka's smile slowly disappeared, her stomach clenched and she slowly pushed the door open._

 _The room in front of Myka seemed as if nobody had lived there at all in the past few weeks. The bed was perfectly made, the wardrobe was empty from any and all clothes, the windows were closed, but the blinds were up… if it wasn't for the faint scent of sandalwood in the room Myka would have questioned her sanity. Had she made up Helena and their conversation today?_

 _Taking a step inside the room, Myka went to the right side of the bed and sat down, trying to make sense of everything that was happening. Why would Helena ask her out if she was just going to up and leave? What game was she playing this time? Were Artie and Pere right about her?_

 _A million thoughts swarmed Myka's mind, but a piece of paper caught her eye. On top of the pillow, stood a note with elegantly written "I owe you darling. H" and Myka sat there for what felt like an eternity, just clutching the small piece of paper in her hand, thinking._

 _*end of flashback*_

It was a little over seven months since H.G left without as much as a one-line note and even though Myka was very upset and sad the first couple of months, she slowly got back in the rhythm of her job. If anything, she even excelled at her job, suddenly loved doing inventory and always volunteering for missions, she did everything in order to spend as little time as possible in the B&B.

Nobody talked about H.G and her departure. Artie and Pete were glad, Steve saw how sad Myka and Claudia were and decided not to press the issue, so he just made sure to be around and distract Claudia by playing some games or encourage her to bake with him and Leena. However, nobody spoke a word about the elephant in the room and soon they all started acting as if it was never there.

 _TBC…_


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter II: Serendipity is a b******

 _AN: Hi guys! I'D LIKE TO HAVE YOUR ATTENTION FOR A MOMENT. Sorry for not updating according to schedule, being a grown up suck sometimes. I have something important to tell you. I won't bore you with details mostly because I'm not even sure about them myself. But, the main thing is, I am sure most of you have heard about the EU new law and restriction policies on certain websites with fanfiction and stuff. Since I am from Spain, that means this change would affect me too and I am not sure that I would have access to AO3 or FF after the 4_ _th_ _of July. So, if you like this fic and want to read it to the end, write me your email and I'll send you the rest in case I'm unable to upload it here. Again, I am not sure that's true 100% and part of me really hopes it's not, but just in case you should know that I haven't abandoned this or any other of my stories. Thank you for your time and kudos and comments, I appreciate every single one of them!_

 _..._

"So what's the case for today, Myka?" – Steve asked as he came behind Claudia.

"Are we going to Niagara falls this time? Oh it has been on my bucket list since forever!"- Claudia gushed.

"You know, it would be nice if we go somewhere like Hawaii for example or the Bhamas, I'm not picky, as long as there's a beach." – Pete started talking and Myka rolled her eyes in annoyance. Her headache was already killing her, the last thing she needed was a group of overexcited kids shouting around for a vacation.

"Settle down, children!" – Artie's heavy voice sounded in the room, effectively silencing all of them.

"Now that I have your attention, I suggest you take a look at your files." – He said grumpy and handed them each an unusually thin yellow folders.

The folder was unusually small and thin one, normally the artifacts in their cases had a lot of history attached to them, but this case didn't seem normal at all.

The first thing the agents saw in the folder was a photograph of an elderly man in his early sixties perhaps. He was well groomed, clean shaved and wore a nice elegant suit, but nothing too expensive either. Myka thought he must have been quite handsome when he was younger.

The other picture in the folder was that of a small metal pin. On the other hand, the pin itself was spectacular, it was a classical 16-point compass rose, and each of the cardinal directions was indicated with a small diamond.

"This is Albert Stroller, although he is American by birth, he fled to the UK in the seventies and hasn't returned since. His great, grandfather James Barnaby Stroller, made a fortune from the stock exchange market before the great depression. I believe that this broach that you're seeing on page two is the target of your visit to the old country." – Artie explained.

"And what should we know about its powers? I mean what should be looking out for?" – Steve hesitated.

"The thing about this particular artifact is that nobody really knows its powers. As I said we only recently discovered its existence." – Artie answered.

"So, basically, we're going in blind?" – Myka thought aloud.

"If I had more information, it would have been in your folders. That's why I'm sending the four of you, together to handle this one." – The man said.

"Does anyone thinks himself incapable of going on this mission under these particular circumstances?" – Artie asked and when nobody said a word, he pretended not to notice Claudia's slightly worried expression, he continued.

"Good. You all have the rest of the day off to prepare. Train, read, research, pack, whatever you want. Your plane leaves tomorrow morning at 8 am. I know I don't have to say this, but… be careful. – He said and moved back to the warehouse to continue with the inventory. The killed agent wasn't something that inspired much confidence in the team, but it was part of the job.

 _***Myka's POV***_

" _You should be safe now." – Helena said slowly. The smile on her face reached her eyes, but they were not shining with joy, her eyes were filled with tears. Helena's mind ran a hundred miles per hour, she knew damn well that her plan would work. The barrier would protect them, most importantly the barrier would save_ _her_ _._

" _But you are… you're out there…" – I could barely speak. My throat felt like it was closing up and even the simple task of breathing became almost impossible. I could see the blue energy field around the three of us, I could see her smile from afar and even a tear escaping her right eye when she spoke again._

" _It had to be initiated from outside the barrier." – Helena spoke softly._

 _I feel those last five seconds stretch into an eternity of agonizing minutes, hours even… I know what is coming and I can't do anything to help her. I want to move, to shout, to step outside this blasted protection, but my body was paralyzed. The only thing I am capable of doing is holding her gaze and not looking anywhere but her warm brown eyes._

 _Pete and Artie are relentlessly chattering around me, I listen to everything they say, but I can't hear anything apart from the faintest "Thank you" she mumbles._

" _I smell apples." – Helena said in awe and I knew our time had ran out._

" _No, no… no…" – My inner voice kept saying and I closed my eyes._

 _It's too much… the price is too high… I could not just bear witness to the most devastating moment in my life, my sanity would not allow me to._

 _I remembered the first time I saw her projection from the orb, I wanted to touch her, I'm not sure if I wanted to hug her or slap her more, but I was dying to feel her heart beating, even though she had betrayed us I never wished for her to be bronzed again. She may had the wrong approach, but her reasoning wasn't completely illogical, for the most part, the world hadn't changed for the better. But then again, we were not the judge, jury or executioner of the situation. At this moment, we are merely observes._

 _Nothing much can pass through my mind because the flames of the explosion envelop us, as if they were hugging the protective shield from the destruction that followed all around. Wood from the crates flew in every direction and hundreds of artifacts melted, disfigured and altogether evaporated. No loud noises as one would expect from an explosion, only heat, blazing heat._

"Helena! No! No, no!" – Myka woke up gasping for air, sitting up and trying to remember why I was in my bed and what was happening around me.

"Myka!" – Claudia entered abruptly in my room, running toward my bed and taking my head in her hands, making into her eyes.

"Myka, it was just a nightmare." – She tried to sound as calm as possible, but her eyes betrayed her worry. Thankfully, the rest of the team knew better by now than to go rushing into her room.

"It was just a nightmare." – The redhead repeated and Myka nodded her head slowly in understanding.

It had been a while since she had such bad nightmares, usually she'd wake up during the night with her covers on the floor and her pijamas twisted around her and maybe even a few escaped tears, but this extreme sense of fear and panic was a very rare occurrence. Especially since H.G appeared back in their lives as Emily Lake.

For a few moments Myka didn't say anything and Claudia stood in front of her, waiting patiently for the agent to organize her thoughts and distinguish the real memories from the fake ones still fresh from the latest nightmare.

"You dreamed about _her_ again huh?" – Claudia asked gently. Strangely enough, for her young age, the girl could see how much Myka and H.G cared for one another and it hurt her to see them both in pain.

"Yeah and the explosion at the Warehouse." – Myka's voice was hoarse from all the screaming, but at least her throat wasn't closed anymore and she could breathe again. She remembered what Artie had said about the agent that had died while trying to retrieve the broach and that's why her thoughts must have wandered off to Helena tonight.

"I miss her too." – Claudia's voice sounded almost like a whisper. They didn't talk about H.G, but tonight the girl couldn't stop her mouth from speaking what her mind thought.

"It's late Claud. We should go back to sleep, we have an early flight tomorrow." – Myka acted as if she didn't hear the last statement.

"Myka, do you think… could I…" – Claudia tried again, but she was getting nervous and flustered and her cheeks became a lovely rosy color.

"Okay, kid, hop in. Just, don't hog all the covers like last time alright?" – Myka said and scooted to the left.

Myka was too exhausted to reassure her friend that she was okay now and honestly, maybe she felt better when she wasn't alone at night. There had been no point in going out on meaningless dates, knowing that the only person she was interested in just up and left her again, so movie nights with Claudia had become more and more frequent.

As soon as her head hit the soft pillow, Myka dozed off into a dreamless sleep, but as she closed her eyes, she could swear she caught a whiff of a sandalwood oil. Claudia for her part was snoring lightly beside her and true to her word, she didn't hog all the covers that night, at least not at first.

***20 hours later***

Stepping out of an airplane is a unique experience, different each time, impossible to duplicate and yet it is constantly, imperfectly replicated, with each plane ride, with each blow of the wind.

The team had just landed in Heathrow and had begun making their way outside the airport. London was a magnificent city, Myka always had a soft spot for the old continent, but being in London made her feel a pang of nostalgia and melancholy.

"I don't know about you, but I can't wait to get to our hotel and shower. I hate being cooped up in a plane for so long." – Pete complained.

"Sounds good to me." – Steve agreed and Myka and Claudia nodded along.

It was already passed 9pm when they managed to get checked in and each pair got to their rooms. Of course, Claudia didn't even let anyone try to question the girls choice of bunking together, usually the gender wasn't an issue when they had to share a room, but lately Claudia was the only one that Myka allowed near her.

"Ugh, I can't believe we work in a place of continuous wonders and nobody has invented teleportation yet. The jet lack is killing me." – Claudia whined a little as she jumped on her bed.

"I know right?" – Myka chuckled.

"A cold shower and a good walk always help though." – The older agent said.

"Hmm I am inclined to give it a try."

"Okay then, go take a quick shower while I unpack and then you can find us some chocolate until I jump in for a quick shower as well and we'll go out." – Myka said.

"Are we going to invite the boys?" – Claudia asked curious.

"Yeah, sure. You can ask them later." – Myka said while dumping the content of her luggage on the bed.

Since nobody knew how long this particular mission would be, they had packed for at least two weeks and according to the London weather that meant a lot of long sleeves, multifarious amount of socks, dark jeans and at least two pairs of boots. Myka was well organized; she had even sorted her underwear according to its color, so her unpacking was rather fast. Claudia however, was a whole other story. The young woman was much messier and chaotic in her packing. Putting together long sleeved jerseys and short sleeved t-shirts, socks were thrown hastily around her luggage and almost none formed a pair, but as soon as Claudia had finished showering, Myka had proudly finished unpacking her friend's clothes as well.

"The shower is all yours Mykes. God, it feels so good to wash away the airport." – Claudia mused.

"Mhm. Go find us some chocolate now, I can't wait to show you the Themes at night." – Myka added with a smile, put her flip-flops on and walked to the bathroom.

Half an hour later, Myka had just finished putting on a plain navy blue jersey and was ready to put on her shoes and go see where her red haired friend had gone to.

"Myka! You'll never believe what I found! Look, they have white and black "Toblerone", Oreo cookies with blueberry cream, vanilla coke and even double sized peanut buttercups for less than a pound each! I even got us this huge M&M's bag!" – Claudia jumped around excitedly and pointed to each item as she went talking about them.

"Calm down Claud, I think you've had one too many Oreos." – Myka laughed.

It was Friday night and the city of London was buzzing with life, the streets were full with people of every race and stature, dressed in every manner from baggy hip-hop pants to classy boutique dresses. A knock sounded in the room of the girls, but Claudia was busy sorting through all the junk food they'd take with them and left Myka to open it.

"Hey guys, Claudia said you were thinking…" – Steve had started talking, but the image of Claudia trying desperately to fin the huge bag of M&M's into her already full backpack made him start laughing.

"She knows that won't fit in right?" – He asked laughing.

"Oh let her entertain herself, she's on a sugar high from all the Oreos." – The older agent waved with her hand.

"So anyway, she said you two were going for a walk?"

"Yeah, I am always restless after such long plane rides and I love London in autumn."

"Well, I was planning on watching some TV, but I think going for a walk might be a better alternative. I'll go get Pete and we'll meet you guys downstairs in 10 minutes?"

"Great. We'll see you there." – Myka smiled and closed the door when Steve walked back to his room.

"Good news Claud, you can give the boys some of the sweets to carry."

After a moment of careful consideration, the young woman agreed.

"Fine, but if Pete eats my Oreos, I'll kick his butt into the Themes."

"I'll help you." – Myka winked.

Apart from the slightly chilly air, the walk around the streets resulted rather pleasant. It had been a while since Myka had felt this tranquil and she genuinely enjoyed the company of her friends, the sugar high from all the sweets also helped. By the time they decided to head back to the hotel, the only thing left in Claudia's backpack was a half-eaten peanut buttercup and everyone's throats screamed for water.

"God, I think I'm dying." – Claudia flung herself at Steve in an exaggerated matter.

"I told you to stop eating sweets at least seven Toblerone triangles ago." – Steve laughed at her antics.

"Ugh that's not helping. And we still have at least half an hour until we get to our hotel…" – Claudia whined.

"I'd give my left leg for a bottle of water. Why isn't there a vending machine anywhere around here?" – Pete was the next one to join the whining.

"Guys, relax. Look, there's a bar over there. Let's just go in and get some water." – Myka said and pointed at the end of the street.

The three other members of the team rejoiced at that, Pete was seriously considering throwing himself in the river and drinking some water, even though Myka already warned him about the elevated chances of catching diarrhea afterwards.

Step by step, the team approached their salvation, a whiff of sandalwood caught Myka's attention, but she quickly discarded it. And so the four merry friends entered the finest establishment on this side of the river, also known as _Eddie's Bar._

Understandable for a Friday night, the bar was full with people, most of them laughing and talking loudly, others playing darts in the left corner, others walking around with drinks. The bar tender was a sympathetic, slightly chubby fellow with a name tag on his shirt that read _Eddie_ , he must also be the owner because he also seemed very invested in making sure every customer got their drinks right away.

"Four glasses of water, please!" – Claudia said with her last remaining forces and Eddie made a very surprised face, but in a matter of seconds, four, tall glasses of water stood in front of them. Not wasting a moment, each of the Warehouse agents gulped down their water and sighed in a contempt relief.

"Hey guys! Since we are here, we might as well have some fun right?" – Steve asked suggestively looking around. A nice impromptu night out was a rare opportunity and before they could start their investigation tomorrow, they could have some fun tonight.

"All right, but nobody gets to complain about being hungover tomorrow ok?" – Said Myka, motioning to Eddie to come back for another order and the rest of the team cheered.

A beer turned into two and after a game of darts, Steve decided to try his luck with a very attractive young man that had been smiling at him for the better part of their night.

"Okay guys, I think it's time we call it a night." – Myka said and took out her purse, ready to close their tab and get back to the hotel.

"Come on Mykes, one more and we're going." – Pete tried.

"It's already midnight Pete, we weren't even supposed to go out tonight. Besides, you have been drinking soda all night anyway."

"It's not about the drinks, it's about finally getting you out of your shell. You have been acting strange lately, stranger than usual. Tonight is the first night you are actually having fun." – Pete said.

"You know what? I am having fun… okay one more drink and we're out." – Myka finally agreed, as much as she hated to admit it, Pete was right.

"Ash, stay down, the next round is on me." – A strong male voice sounded right next to Myka and not a moment later a tall, handsome black man bumped into the curly agent.

"Oh, I am terribly sorry Miss." – The stranger said and looked at Myka with an apologetic smile.

"I should have been looking where I was going." – He continued ever so charmingly.

"That's okay, it is pretty crowded in here anyway." – Myka tried to sound nonchalant, but she actually liked his pronounced British accent.

"Ever since Eddie decided to try out these cocktails, people have been coming nonstop to the bar. At first I thought he wanted to poison us with all these strange concoctions, but he got better with time." – The man explained.

"So you come here often?" – Myka knew it was a cliché, but her curiosity got the best of her.

"Yes, my colleagues and I live nearby and Eddie is like a family already." – He laughed again and Myka mimicked him.

"I completely forgot to introduce myself. I'm Michael, but my friends call me Mickey." – The man said and extended his hand to Myka.

"Myka, nice to meet you Mickey." – She smiled back and thought how his name reminded her of Mickey Mouse. Good, now there was no way she'd forget it.

"Mickey, did you go to the other side of London for one round of bloody drinks?" – A female voice sounded behind him and a pair of arms encircled Mickey from behind and he quickly maneuvered her next to him, putting his hand to rest comfortably on the woman's waist.

The voice alone sent shivers down Myka's spine, but the moment she saw the pale hands of the woman behind him, Myka's only thought was a plea towards an unknown entity: _please don't let this be true._

Alas, it was. And the face that she saw behind Mickey made Myka's gut to clench violently. The brown eyes, the black hair… the smile… in front of her stood the woman that plagued both her dreams and nightmares. Helena George Wells was standing less than two feet away from her and she couldn't even say a word.

"Myka?!" – Helena's surprised voice accentuated even more her wide eyes, bewilderment seeping through her dazed gaze.

"Helena?" – Myka whispered, barely audibly.

"Helena?" – Mickey repeated lost.

This was one of those moments that stretched into infinity, and the tension between all three of them only grew bigger and bigger as their silence flooded the air.

"Lady Cuckoo?" – Pete said from behind, but nobody except Myka heard him. Pete was staring at Helena with his eyes wide and mouth open, the last thing he expected tonight was to see H.G dressed in a classy two piece navy suit with a red satin shirt, sleeves rolled up to her elbows and a collar slightly cocked up. The brit looked mesmerizing in that outfit and not many people could pull off that well this particular color combination.

"Peter." – H.G briefly acknowledged his presence.

Mickey turned to Helena, eyeing her suspiciously and she only nodded her head before the man regained his senses and decided that Stacie must be playing another con of her own and that "Helena" character must be her undercover story. It was one hell of a coincidence, but she was a free grafter after all.

"Ah I see you know my colleague." – Mickey said with another smile on his face and Myka managed to nod.

"Yes, we are… acquainted." – Myka agreed with a fake smile on her face and to everyone around them it looked like the curly haired woman was unaffected by the meeting, except to Helena who could see the infinite questions in the other woman's eyes.

"I'm gonna need something stronger." – Myka murmured, but Helena was too focused on her not to hear it.

"Eddie, give me some tequila shots, please." – Helena spoke gently and the bartender nodded, serving the drinks without a question about who'd pay for them, he put a lemon slice on top of each.

Myka hadn't touched the tequila yet and her head felt like it was going to explode, it was rather ironic that she was the one even suggested going on this damned walk and walking into this damned bar.

 _ **TBC…**_


	3. Chapter 3

Hi guys! This is obviously not a chapter update, but it is important for me to tell you this. I believe that many of you know that a new law has been voted in Europe where we wouldn't be able to visit certain web pages such as Fanfiction and AO3. I have been busy with a private project of mine that hopefully will be published next year, so I didn't have almost any time to update my fics for which I am sorry.

I can't tell you how much your kudos and comments mean to me, to every writer, you guys keep us going. So, I won't make this post too long, what I am proposing is that if you guys like this one or any other of my fics and want to know how it ends, write me your email in the comments or send me an email to: evelitan and tell me which fic you're interested in finishing. I'll send you the stories once I have them, but I MAY NOT BE ABLE TO POST THE FICS HERE, on the official fanfiction websites.

Supposedly, this law would prevent or restrict my access from tomorrow (4th of July), so I wanted to thank you all once again, for the support and no matter if there's only one person who wants to finish reading the stories, I will send it to them.

However, if all this turns out to be false (I really hope so) and I still have access to the web site I WILL DELETE THIS NOTE and go back to posting my stuff as usual.

 **Thank you** guys and enjoy your day!

E.T


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